The Latest
What's new in GNU Make 3.81[article] In this article, Ask Mr. Make covers what's new in GNU Make 3.81. |
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Evolving beyond Version Control for Agile Development[article] This article looks at satisfying the principles of Configuration Management with varying degrees of tool support, which we classify from Version Control at one end, to true CM tools (and beyond!). Many agile developers restrict themselves to tools that are more on the version control end, so we aim to highlight the differences, and particularly point out certain features which can make your life a lot easier. |
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Testing vs. Quality Assurance[article]
"What does your quality assurance group do?" I have asked this question of many executives. Too often they answer, "Quality assurance is responsible for testing our software to ensure it is ready for release." I push, hoping for more, by asking, "Anything else?" Usually, though, the response is little more than, "Well, they manage the defect tracking system. What else would they do?" What more, indeed!
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Alan S. Koch
May 30, 2006 |
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Who do You Trust?[magazine] The defensive programmer may sometimes feel a touch of paranoia in his work, but it’s all part of the job. Writing code today that is robust and defensive will help protect against the potential errors of the unforeseeable future. |
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A New Strategy[magazine] After a conversation with a stranger about the abuses of process in an industry that features spaceships, technology, and an oddball rebellion against a controlling empire—no, nothing to do with Hollywood—Matthew Heusser ponders a simple dose of process improvement. |
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A Look at Command Line Utilities[magazine] There are some large and complex tools out there for testers, but the ones Danny Faught uses most often are small and conveniently accessed by way of a simple, old-fashioned command line user interface. |
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When an Emergency Takes Center Stage[magazine] The middle of an emergency is no time to make a plan. Take a look at this installment of "Management Chronicles" to learn how not to be prepared for an emergency situation, and then read the Story Lines for some helpful, preparatory advice. |
Peter Clark
May 2, 2006 |
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Is the Pope a Bachelor?—Why Examples are Most Important[magazine] We like to believe that the categories we assign to the world are real and the definitions we use draw clear boundaries, but how clear are they really? Brian Marick writes about the vital nature of examples, both in the realm of software development and in the larger picture of life. |
Brian Marick
May 2, 2006 |
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Help Wanted: Hiring a Software Tester With an Agile Attitude[magazine] What can you do to ensure you hire a tester with an agile attitude? Lisa Crispin explains the approach her team used to find a new tester with both the right skills and the right attitude. |
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Tester PI: Performance Investigator[magazine] Finding avoidable, show-stopping problems when performance testing late in a project is, unfortunately, not uncommon. But Scott Barber says you can save time and money on your software development projects by investigating performance early and validating performance last. |
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Is Agile Configuration Management Worth the Effort?[article] What is agile CM? If you think it's doing the minimal amount of CM, think again. Instead, it's minimizing and streamlining the work to do all of the CM tasks that are necessary. It adapts to changing CM requirements fairly easily. Agile CM doesn't just happen - it's a combination of good CM process, good CM tools, and CM automation. If you fall short on any of these, your CM process will not be very agile. |
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Feature-Driven Development: An Agile Alternative to Extreme Programming[article] Feature-driven development (FDD) has the more traditional progression of a systems-engineering life cycle mode as compared to agile methods. It uses distinct phases in its iterations while still being highly iterative and collaborative. FDD does conduct up-front planning, design and documentation and relies very heavily upon domain modeling. |
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Agile Software Development: It's Not the Wild West[article] Agile methods for software development are one of the hottest movements in the methodology field. Agile methods provide a means of adapting quickly for teams facing unpredictable or rapidly changing requirements. Agile introduces a structured approach to software development (more structured than most "bandwagon" enthusiasts realize). |
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Balancing Individual versus Collective Code Ownership[article] The subject of individual -vs- collective code ownership is often the bane of many heated discussions about code change authorization/access and concurrent -vs- serial development. Opponents of collective ownership often claim that it results in "no ownership" of the code and that individual code ownership is better for managing attempts at concurrent changes. Oppenents of individual ownership often counter by saying individual ownership inhibits refactoring and goes against the team ethic of XP and other Agile methods. |
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Managing Dispersed Development Teams for Productivity[article] The traditional approach to managing productivity is that employees punch a clock – in at 8, out at 5 – and employers must assume work is being done during the intervening hours. However, the current reality for many, if not most, businesses, is that the traditional approach no longer works. It has become unclear whether or not work is being accomplished regardless of hours logged at the office. With the increase in outsourced and offshore teams, many developers are scattered across different states or even different continents and throughout a variety of time zones. As a result, it’s not possible for a manager to ‘swing by’ a developer’s cube to get a status update on a project or even just to do a quick check that a team member is present and productive. |